US Embassy in Manila (PH) CRBA + US passport issues. Advice needed.

[WarrenSims 1]

 

Hello everyone. Below is the story of me trying to get a CRBA and US Passport for my 18 month old son from the US Embassy Manila. It’s a wall of text. Please give it a read and offer any ideas or advice. I am open to anything. 
 

 

May 23, 2024: Completed eCRBA application and paid $100 fee.

 

May 23, 2024: After completing eCRBA app and paying the fee, I was directed to an online calendar to schedule my interview. No dates were available for the next 5 years. Thats gotta be an error right?

 

May 23, 2024: I emailed the US Embassy the application # and requested an interview date.

 

May 23, 2024: Received email requesting summary report (this shows up after you finish the eCEBA application) and a written request for an interview.

 

May 24, 2024: I emailed the summary and a request for an interview. 

 

May 29, 2024: Received, via email, a CRBA interview date of July 1, 2024.

 

May 30, 2024 - June 30, 2024: Collected all docs required. The only list of required documents we could find is the “paper based application” requirements (which is much more than what we submitted with the eCRBA application). So we got all of those.

 

July 1, 2024: My son, his mom, and myself all appeared for the interview nice and early at the US Embassy in Manila. It went well. However, by the end of the interview, the consular/embassy officer said we had all documents and/or proof EXCEPT a document proving I was in PH at the time my son was conceived (March 2022). I do not ever recall seeing where this was a requirement.

 

***I had gotten a new passport after that March 2022 date and shredded my old passport so I couldn’t provide the old passport to the officer***

 

After telling the officer about my old passport, she stated that I could go to the Bureau of Immigration Manila (BoI) a few streets away, get my entry/exit documents, scan it to the US embassy’s email and she would then approve the CRBA application and the US Passport application for my son.

 

July 1, 2024: went to the BoI, filled out a request form for the entry/exit dates of myself and was told it would be ready for pick up on July 10,2024.

 

July 10, 2024: picked up the entry exit documents from the BoI, scanned them and emailed them to the US embassy as instructed. 

 

July 17, 2024: Received email from US Embassy completely disregarding the scanned documents. Instead, they want me to send a physical copy of the document to the US Embassy along with a copy of the “90 Day Letter” that was attached to the email. However, the 90 letter was not attached to the email. I have no idea what a 90 day letter is.

 

July 17, 2024: I respond with the scanned documents again and reminded them that I was instructed by the consular/embassy officer herself to send them via email and not physically. 

 

July 24, 2024: Called the US embassy. Got nothing but automated messages and dead ends that rerouted me to more automated messages. Used Meta AI to learn how to get ahold of an actual person (press “0” while the automated system asks you to choose numeric options, you’ll be transferred to an operator, ask for American Citizen Services). Spoke to a person in ACS who only saw the email where the embassy told me to send a physical version of the document, nothing else after that. I told her I have sent 2 digital attachments in 2 separate emails as the consular officer told me that a scanned copy of the documents would be acceptable. The ACS person said to call back in a few days and see if the emails reached ACS or the consular officer by then.

 

July 29, 2024: I call the US Embassy again and reached ACS. The agent told me she still hasn’t received any emails from the last time I spoke to her. I became verbally upset and the ACS agent stated I should send it again but request that the email be sent to the consular/embassy officer assigned to my case. I said I will do that today/right now. But I also asked why my emails are not going through. The ACS agent said that new emails first go to the people who filter the emails to ACS or the consular/embassy officer and that they likely did not find a reason to filter them through to anyone. I asked to be transferred to the unit/area/division where I can talk to someone about their refusal to filter my emails. The ACS agent said that is not possible. 

 

July 29, 2024: I wrote a long, well written, very respectful email requesting that my email be sent to the consular/embassy officer assigned to my case. I also asked the consular officer to please consider using the digital copy of the entry/exit docs. I attached the digital copy of the documents again.

 

July 29, 2024: I also called my son’s mom and requested she send the physical entry/exit docs, via LBC (think UPS, FED-EX or DHL), to the US Embassy address where mail gets delivered. She spent the money for a 2-3 day delivery and did it that day.

 

August 2, 2024: received confirmation from the LBC website that LBC hand delivered the physical entry/exit document to the US Embassy mail people/division/area.

 

August 8, 2024: Called US Embassy to confirm that the physical entry/exit document had arrived, to confirm if the July 28 email was forwarded to the consular/embassy. The agent asked for patience while she pulled up 3 separate computer programs to pull up emails, my case/physical documents, notes and calls. Once that was done, I was told by the ACS agent that after looking in the 3 computer programs, no physical document had arrived and the last email the Embassy had on file was my July 17 email with the digital copy of the travel documents. I became livid (internally of course). The ACS agent stated that it may take up to 5 days for physical mail to reach my case. I asked if mail goes to the same building as my case and she said yes and that it’s just a few rooms away (clearly she didn’t get what I was trying to hint at). I then asked what else can be done because if physical mail isn’t reaching the consular/embassy officer and my numerous emails aren’t reaching the officer because of the people who filter them, what else can be done? She didn’t have an answer and only apologized. I literally begged her to do something to help me and she said for me to email the tracking number of the physical mail and a picture from LBC showing the date and time it was hand delivered to the embassy. She also stated she would “personally send a note to the consular officer to review the digital documents and read the July 17th email.” The agent also stated that the interviewer I saw on July 1, 2024 may or may not be the consular officer who sees the emails or notes or physical documents. That was disheartening.

 

August 8, 2024: As I was told, I sent another email. This time with a pic of the tracking number, a pic of the confirmation page showing the physical document was delivered, a digital copy of the documents and a respectful request to forward this email to the consular/embassy officer. 

 

^^^^ So this is my story so far. 

 

Also, while I completely understand that if I had my old passport for the July 1 interview, this whole situation would not have happened. I simply did not know I had to prove I was there for the conceptions despite me turning in every document showing he’s mine and that I take responsibility of him. Hell the interviewer even made comments about how he looks like me. However I am still extremely frustrated at how an email filter person has that much power over my case. Numerous emails have not been sent to the consular officer because a filter persons deemed it not worth sending. Additionally, how is it possible that after 5 days of arrival, a piece of mail did not make it down the hall and placed in my case.

 

I’ll check-in here again August 15, 2024 with an update. I wait nearly 7 days each time I sent a email because I understand that the embassy is crazy busy and likely gets thousands of emails a day and probably doesn’t see mine the day I send it. I’m trying to be patient but I also feel helpless. 

 

Has anyone here ever dealt with something similar? Any advice? 

 

[WarrenSims 1]

August 15, 2024: I called the US Embassy and spoke to American Citizen Services. The agent there stated that the US Passport and CRBA application has been approved and that both will arrive before 8 weeks are up. I am so very happy!